Synthetic meat

The debate on the so-called "synthetic" meat has ignited as recent government measures have banned its production and marketing in our country.

In reality, rather than synthetic meat, we should speak of in vitro meat as it involves taking a very modest quantity of cells from the animal from which the embryonic stem cells are extracted which, inside a sterile bio reactor, they are fed and then grow, differ from each other and multiply.

After this process, the fibers obtained are processed to the point of appearing as minced meat, compacted and placed under vacuum.

Generally speaking, it should be noted that, on the basis of recent scientific studies also conducted in the EU, the production of meat in vitro, which would have the same nutritional qualities as that intended for common consumption, would help reduce the impact on global warming, air pollution, land and water consumption compared to production based on so-called traditional farms.

It is certain that the debate within the international scientific community is in full swing and we are still far from definitive conclusions.

In Italy, on March 28, the Italian government urgently approved a bill with which it banned the production and sale of synthetic foods such as the new meat produced in the laboratory from animal cells , invoking the precautionary principle and in order to "protect human health and agri-food heritage".

The provision provides, in the event of non-compliance, the application to offenders of penalties ranging from a minimum of 10,000 euros to 60,000 euros, up to 10% of the total annual turnover, in addition to the temporary ban on access to contributions, loans or subsidies disbursed by the State, entities or the European Union, upon closure of the production plant for the same period.

Beyond the sensitivity and thoughts of each, from a strictly regulatory point of view, some reflections can be made on the aforementioned provision.

First of all, the marketing of in vitro meat within the EU today presupposes the prior and necessary authorization of the European Commission, once the evaluation of the EFSA, i.e. the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has been acquired, i.e. the Community body for risk assessment on food and feed safety, animal health and welfare established by Regulation (EC) no. 178/2002.

Now given that to date this authorization does not appear to have been granted, the prohibition introduced by the government decree seems in reality to have already been superseded by the same European legislation which, in the absence of this authorization, currently inhibits the marketing of so-called meat. synthetic throughout the EU.

The reference to the precautionary principle in matters of public health protection contained in the aforementioned decree can also be the subject of comparison.

According to a consolidated guideline of the European Court of Justice on the precautionary principle, in order to prevent and/or limit the importation of synthetic meat, it would be necessary to offer objective scientific data at European level to justify it, certifying any risk profiles (the Minister of Salute, Orazio Schillaci, declared that to date there is no "scientific evidence on the possible harmful effects due to the consumption of synthetic foods").

In this context, all that remains is to wait for subsequent scientific and regulatory developments.

Written by; Alexander Klun